Star Wars - Edge of the Empire

3. The Jewel of Chandrila

Test Flight

20

JUL/15

Star Wars: Edge of the Empire
The Jewel of Chandrila

The Spacers are now One day out from the Cloud City Grand Prix, the gala auction, and the heist to steal the Jewel of Chandrila. Information has been collected on most of the bidders and manipulations of their motivations have already begun. Each member of the crew has their task, but time grows short to bring all the elements together and the authorities are already suspicious of them.

Predawn outside Cloud City, Guffy and Kraus check out the handling on a rented cloud car. Its a standard model with the only modifications being power dampened blasters that only stun and a micro tractor beam for utility purposes. Kraus gets a feel for the handling, taking note of its drag.

The car flies through a massive cloud bank the life form scanners go off. Though visual range is near zero, a flash of a massive maw is seen as a creature flies up and over the cloud car. “Velkers!”, Guffy shouts. The car starts to be jostled from all sides, bumped by the massive ray like creatures.

Coming out of the cloud bank they spot 4 velkers flying in formation around their car. Guffy is excited to have the chance to hunt. Kraus speeds ahead and flips around taking the creatures head on. Guffy unleashes with the car’s blaster fire, knocking out one of the creatures early on and sending it tumbling down into Bespin’s atmosphere.

One of the Velkers gets in close and uses it’s bioelectric field to send a surge through the car, knocking out the scanners, the next two swoop in. One takes a massive bite out of the port pod, breaching the hull. A few more shots with the cars blasters doesn’t do anything to keep the creatures back. Before Guffy can get himself strapped in and open the pod to fire on the creatures with his hunting blaster, one of the creatures slams into the car, wrapping itself around his pod. It attacks with its electric field causing further system strain. Guffy attempts to do something about the creature, but a system flush and blaster fire doesn’t accomplish anything. Kraus finally gets it shaken off and Guffy opens the pod and begins to fire on the creatures in pursuit. Though difficult in the high winds he manages to score a few hits the velkers, killing one.

Dawn shines through the clouds quickly and the life form scanners flicker massive readings. Just ahead a school of beldons float up from the clouds below, expanding in the morning sun. Kraus slows and attempts to evade the the giant creatures all while keeping the car from any further damage from the velkers. One attaches itself to a beldon then Kraus loses the last with some top notch flying through the field of beldons.

Though the car is on its last legs they manages circle back and tractor in the kill. Returning to Cloud City. The rental office manager is furious over the state of his ruined car, but after some threats of a lawsuit he shrugs off the damage to insurance. He pays the bounty on the velker of 5,000 credits. Guffy and Kraus collect some teeth from the creature before leaving.

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, “Gunsha Murglak” works feverishly to complete the data spike for the slice job. The first has some critical flaws and in anger he throws it out to the winds of Bespin. Aris spots him the creds for the materials to create a new one but warns, “It’s coming out of your cut.” The next attempt is a success and should aid him well in diverting the credits.

Aanchi heads out to breakfast at the Three Beldons Buffet, by suggestion of Aris. All are unaware that Xagrab guards Kaltho the Hutt there now. She finds a Twi’lek and a Gank standing outside. The Twi’lek sneers, “Private party. Is closed now” Aanchi continues to prod asking when it would be open, who’s in there, but the thugs give her nothing. The Gank wrings his hands on his blaster rifle, ready for an excuse, when Aanchi says, “Oh, I thought Kaltho was in there”. When Aanchi doesn’t give a sufficient answer for thugs as to what she’s doing there he gives her the answer, “As a matter of fact, Hutt is in there, and would very much like to know who you are!” He marches her in through the restaurant where she spies Xagrab, though he doesn’t see her and Kaltho the Hutt speaking to Marus Greyson. She’s thrown in a janitors closet and waits for hours.

The door opens and a mean looking human steps in, scar down his face. He begins to question Aanchi and is a hard man to deceive. He doesn’t believe that the only reason shes there is tell Kaltho that Vorse is making moves to get the jewel, so she concocts a story of a group of Sullistan thugs overheard Vorse and plan to mug Kaltho and tried to get her to help. She requests protection from the imaginary thugs and the man asks where she’s staying. She says shes nowhere yet so he tells her once she gets a place to comm him and he’d send a guard over. He lets her out and she exits through the restaurant, now full of patrons. Outside she spots the Gank from the door following her. She boldly approaches and asks if he’s there to protect her. He only responds in his native tongue and then walks away fading into the crowd. Unnerved, Aanchi heads to the casino, but no one of note is there this early in the day.